6 mnth post ablation follow-up

Dear afib family,
Just got back from my week in Adelaide for the 6 month check-up with Dr Prash Sanders, which included a 24hr Holter Monitor test and an echocardiogram.
The echo. conclusion reads:
"1. Left ventricular size normal. Left ventricular function is normal.
Left ventricular wall thickness is mildly hypertrophied.
2. Left atrium upper limits normal size. Right heart appears normal.
3. Mitral valve structurally and functionally normal.
4. Aortic valve structurally and functionally normal. Aortic upper limits
normal.

Dr Sanders was very pleased with my progress overall but has prescribed atenolol to try and reduce my heart rate during the tachy episodes I still get. (Dosage to start at 25mg daily, building up to 50mg daily if I tolerate the drug well.) He said the tachy was probably from a 'gap' in the ablation line. Next time I have an episode, he would like me to get to a hospital and have it recorded on an ECG.
What I didn't think to ask him was the possibility of using atenolol as a PIP - has that been successfully done by others on the BB?

He also prescribed irbisartan (Aprovel?) to bring down my consistently high blood pressure - dosage 300mg daily.
I'm most disappointed about my blood pressure because I've been so careful with my diet and am taking plenty of Vit E, C, B's and Omega 3's (fish oil caps) and walk for 20 mins per day. (Not as briskly as I once did, especially after reading all the recent posts on exercise!)
However, my test results show that the high BP has affected my heart, so it's 'tablet time' for me, by the looks of it.
All I can say is that I'm grateful there is a tablet to take but I won't be stopping my supplements!
I've just skimmed over the posts of the past week (boy, do I ever suffer from BB withdrawal if I can't keep up with what's happening here!) and saw the interesting message about beets.
I have plenty, so guess who'll be sporting red lips and tongue this week!

As for how I feel? Generally, I feel great and still blissed out to be in NSR - still working on my digestive system, which is a bit slow to respond - but as it took nearly 60 years to stuff it up, I'm trying to be patient!

Thank you all again for your gracious and whole hearted support and encouragement,
warmest regards,
Emmie

So, all in all you're pretty normal!! Fantastic!!

Kate

Wonderful report Em! So happy for you.
Cynthia

Emmie,

So glad you are still in NSR. Keep up the good work!

Jean

Emmie - I used to have high blood pressure too, but don't now. I take 30 mgs. day of Lycopene (in the form of Lyco-Mato), and something called ProStolic (which has potassium, pomegranate, passionflower, and tripeptides), which have worked wonderfully well. My numbers used to be 150's or 160's over 90's...now most readings are 120's over 80's, ...sometimes lower.

The supplements you mentioned are great for many things, but they don't really do much to help with blood pressure. If you want to help your BP through exercise, you'll need to walk longer then 20 minutes/day...aim for 30-40 minutes most days of the week, and try to get it fairly brisk for much of the time.

I've worked on this blood pressure for 8 years before I finally got it under control - without the use of drugs. Certainly if you have to take them, than you take them. But I've been thrilled to surprise the doctors

Good luck ~ Barb

Barb,
I'm unable to get ProStolic in Australia due to government restrictions and when I attempted to order from the North American website, I got a pop-up window saying the product was not currently available, so I'll need to look into alternatives.
Lycopene is easier - thanks to iherb on this website.
Like you, I'd far rather try an alternative to drug therapy if at all possible!
.......now, if I could just persuade my heart not to go into tachy when I push my walking speed, I'll be on a roll....
warmest regards,
Emmie

Emmie - not sure where you were trying to order from, but why don't you email me? I just checked the company and there doesn't seem to be any problem with getting this in Australia.....

ToBHerd@aol.com

Lycopene did help, but the ProStolic was what really brought it down. I would recommend both.

Take care ~ Barb

HI Emmie

Great to hear you are doing so well and staying in NSR. Maybe the tachy will go away with the lowering of the blood pressure. Or maybe the gap in the ablation line needs to be fixed to cure the tachy. What did Sanders think? I hope you catch the tachy on an ECG when you go to the hospital and Sanders can fix this problem.

Best wishes
Belinda

Emmie,

Here are some thoughts regarding BP:

1. I wouldn't worry about walking too much as a cause of afib - most studies are on people exercising at a much greater level.

2. If your heart goes tachy as you push up the speed, try to stay below that pace.

3. Low dose bedtime aspirin. Peggy M has had good luck with this protocol and lowering her BP. See: [www.incirculation.net]
You can also Google betime aspirin and Hermida, the Spaniard who did the study.

4. Here in the states, they advertise a device to lower BP, RespErate. [www.resperate.com] As far as I can tell, what it does is get you to breathe at a rate of 5 breaths/minute or so for 15 minutes, 2x. day. You can do this without a machine. Here is another site with research for this kind of breathing [www.coherence.com]

5. Magnesium has been shown to reduce BP - normal recommendations as for afib.

6. Increasing the ratio of potassium to sodium in your diet to 4 or 5 to 1 also helps. This should be done both by reducing sodium and increasing potassium in the diet.

7. Check out Hans's other site [www.yourhealthbase.com] for more info.

Cheers,

George

Emmie, I just remembered that the single thing that helped to get my BP down and keep it down was to lose weight! Losing about 20 lb. did the trick. I was up around 160 and got down to about 130. My Endocrinologist called a halt and said for my height, body structure etc. she wanted me to weigh no less than 140. I now find that eating pretty much what I want in the proper amounts, keeps me between 140-142. My BP is "perfect". While I would like to wear a smaller size, this is a good compromise for all.
Cynthia

Thank you so much, George, for your advice and for marshalling those sites for me. I'd forgotten Peggy's regime and that's an easy one to try.
Have had several low grade headaches at the back of my head over the past couple of months. Will be interesting to see if they disappear when my BP goes down.

Oh, by the way - I've found a new method to cure sciatica! - True!
Here it is in 3 easy steps:
1
Wait for a blustery day with lots of dust in the air, causing you to squint
instead of watching where you are going.
2.
Find a jutting piece of pavement and stub your toe firmly against that.
3.
Lose your balance, and, using the heels of your hands and both knees to break your fall, crash to the said pavement.
(An optional extra is to place your handbag on your chest for protection of your heart as you fall. This has the advantage of ensuring all the broken pieces of mirror are neatly contained for disposal.)
This exercise serves to jar your body back into alignment and Voila! - no more sciatica!
Now, critics of this method may point out the swelling and bruises which accompany the treatment, but I just laugh at them as I sleep peacefully through a toss-&-turn-free night. Believe it or not..........
warmest regards,
Emmie

Oh, - good one, Cynthia! Thanks!
Dare I ask for further definition of 'proper amounts'? I guess that depend on things like height, lifestyle, etc. doesn't it?
Wish I could get referred to an endocrinologist but so far my requests have fallen on deaf ears. But I DID get a referral to a local nutritionist/dietician, so I'll see if she can help. A mammoth task (pun intended!) as I've got my Dad's height and build.
My dear husband informed me last week (helpfully intended, I'm sure) that the Dutch are the largest race in the world - tallest, strongest, etc. etc.- something to do with generations of dyke building and seafaring, he said. Don't know what TV program he was watching, but I'd have picked the Maori people or natives of Samoa.
I really have to work at exercise, too, because my hobbies mostly sedentary - sewing, painting, reading and I spend HOURS at the computer!
Emmie

Emmie, that was funny!!

Here is my home-grown cure for "frozen shoulder": lead frisky horse from stable to field gate by headcollar only, not using a rope. Keep hold of said frisky horse when it rears up impatiently at the gate, yanking arm with frozen shoulder way up over your head. Put horse in field. Return to stable with un-frozen shoulder.

Kate

Ouch, Kate! Examples of self-help like these give new meaning to the phrase 'dancing with pain', don't they?!
My husband steers well clear of horses - he calls them "transport with brains" and doesn't trust them. Mind you, he's never been hurt by a horse.
I, on the other hand, love them - yet I've been bucked off, mashed against a fence and cow-kicked in the thigh. The last by the sweetest little foal you'd ever hope to see - for such a dainty looking creature, she sure packed a wallop!
Emmie

"My dear husband informed me last week (helpfully intended, I'm sure) that the Dutch are the largest race in the world - tallest, strongest, etc. etc.- something to do with generations of dyke building and seafaring, he said."

They eat raw meat. Been there, done that.

William

Hi Emmie. All in all that's a great report. You must be so pleased. I'm sure you'll get that bp down pretty quickly.

Also wanted to let you know that I'm off to Adelaide next week for my ablation on the 24th. I have all the tests etc next week and a meeting with Prof Sanders. Can't say I'm not scared, but your courage and results have inspired me.

Cheers to all
Patsy

Dear Emmie:

Sorry, that your blood pressure is causing you grief.

Please note that if your ancestors came from Europe there is a chance that you might have one of the genes for Hemochromatosis. There is documented research that people with the HFE gene tend to have higher ferritin and transferrin saturation levels...this can increase the risk for several diseases including heart disease/arrhythmia, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, alzheimer's and age related macular degeneration.

Could you get the following fasting bloodwork: A CBC, serum ferritin, serum iron, TIBC/UIBC, serum transferrin saturation percentage.

If your ferritin is above 50....and your Tsat% is above 44%...you are storing iron in some of your major organs including your heart. A heart full of iron cannot heal.

In addition, it is suggested that a hemoglobin of slightly below 14 is beneficial in reducing risk of blood clots. The thinner the blood the more easily it can mover around in the blood vessels.


Please consider at the very least doing the CBC and Serum Ferritin blood tests. Drink lots of fluids the day before the test and they must be done with an 8 to 12 hour fast....and try not to take any vitamin C and eat a diet low in iron for a few days before. This will reduce skewing of results.

Isabelle

Hello Patsy,
I'm glad you were able to get in to see Dr Sanders - he's very highly regarded by everyone that works with and for him (except for some bureaucrats at the RAH - see today's post to Aussie afibbers) and he's such a lovely man.
He's open, honest and easy to talk to and explains everything so well - he even said he's referring patients to this BB!
I have marked your ablation date on my calender and will be praying for your successful procedure with full and swift recovery!
All the very best,
Emmie

Thank you, Isabelle, I will follow up your suggestions and request those tests at my next GP visit.
Thank you also for the work you are doing as part of breast cancer research.
Your 'choking' type symptoms are very similar to mine when I get stressed and I remember years ago that an elderly widow who lived next to me complained of the same sensation for several months after her husband died.
Best wishes and warmest regards,
Emmie

and....?
did it make you tall, big and strong, William? (sorry....couldn't resist!)
Emmie

Well I'm only 6' tall, big enough, and judging by all the snow-shovelling much stronger than I was.
(It's melting! At last! Could be on the shooting range in a fortnight.)

So it didn't do any harm, and who knows, might even get back the 1½" shrinkage from aging.

William

OK, you've convinced me - Steak Tartare and Rollmop Herrings it is!
.......and if you discover the secret of regaining that elusive one and a half inches, I'll give you up to half my kingdom!

Emmie